But the defiant defender has vowed to return better than ever as he urges his team mates to finish the job he played a major part in setting up in his first season at junior level.

The 22-year-old was finally allowed home from Hairmyres Hospital yesterday (Friday) six days after the horror injury which caused the first division clash with Blantyre to be abandoned.

O’Neill was flattened by a tackle from former Bankie Scott Davidson after just 10 minutes at Castle Park and says he knew it was serious when he tried to stand up and saw his left leg hanging below him.

After surgery to insert a metal rod into his leg last Saturday evening O’Neill spent the rest of the week in hospital coming to terms with the fact he won’t play again for at least eight months.

But he said: “Better players than me have come back from breaks like this and I am determined to be back better than ever.

“All I remember of the incident was that it was a 50/50 challenge early in the game and their boy has come in over the ball and taken my leg.

“I hit the ground and remember trying to stand up but soon realised that wasn’t going to be possible. I tried to stand up and turn round but I could see my leg was hanging at a bad angle.

“That’s when the adrenaline kicked in and the rest is a bit of blur.

“I broke my nose at 16 but nothing compares to this and, while the ambulance was only about 20 minutes in arriving it seemed like a lifetime.

O'Neill suffered the horror injury against Blantyre (Image: David Brockett)

“It was a worrying time for my dad who works offshore but follows our games on Twitter. He had refreshed the page and read that the game was held up due to a serious injury to me.

“He then read the game had been abandoned and an ambulance was en-route. He had no idea what was going on and I think there had been a bit of panic before my sister managed to get the full story and calm everyone down.”

Social media soon redeemed itself though and has played a massive part in O’Neill’s positive outlook. The centre half, who moved up to junior level from under 21 football last summer, says he has been overwhelmed by the volume of well wishes from across junior football and beyond.

Even his club’s biggest promotion rivals have been in touch with the Bankies in a four-way fight for promotion alongside Largs, Cumnock and Kilwinning.

One message, however, remains unanswered after the big stopper saw his season brought to a shuddering halt at such an exciting time.

“It’s been really inspiring to read all the messages - many from people I have never met before,” he said.

“Even the Cumnock manager got in touch to wish me all the best and we play them in a couple of weeks in a huge match.

“The Blantyre manager phoned me and said he felt bad about what happened. We spoke for about 20 minutes which was good of him.

Cumnock manager John McKeown

“I also got a message from the boy who committed the tackle but, to be honest, I’m not in the right frame of mind to be talking to him.

“Maybe a few months down the line I will feel different but my opinion was it was a reckless tackle and, while nobody would set out to break someone’s leg, I thought it was over the top.”

O’Neill, a customer liason officer for the Royal Bank of Scotland, faces a six to eight week layoff from work but his return to football is a far lengthier process.

He said: “I was playing some of the best football of my life and had already been rewarded with a new contract at Clydebank so, although there’s never a good time to pick up a serious injury, this was particularly hard.

“We are looking good for promotion but suddenly I won’t be available for selection for the biggest games of the season and that is absolutely gutting.

“The plan now is to focus on rehab. I won’t be sitting at home moping around, playing the PlayStation. I will be making sure I stay fit and mobile and come back stronger than ever.

“I have told the boys to use this as inspiration and not a blow to our promotion push. I want them to go and finish the job we have started.

“We have the best squad in the division on paper and I just hope, in a year’s time, I will be back playing against the likes of Auchinleck Talbot and Pollok in the top division. That’s the motivation for me.”

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